St. Andrew's Episcopal Church has created a rich body of material which documents both its own history and its place within the history of Ann Arbor. The records of the parish have been arranged into nine series: Vestry; Registers; Church Programs; Administrative Records; Scrapbooks; Diocese of Michigan and other non-parish material; Liturgical Materials; Publications; and Photographs.
St. Andrew's was established somewhere between late 1827 and early 1828. Among Episcopal parishes in Michigan, St. Andrew's is second only to St. Paul's Cathedral in age. The first church building was consecrated in 1838, but by 1855, the congregation had outgrown these facilities and plans were begun for a new "early English," stone church. Consecrated in 1867, St. Andrew's is the oldest church building in continual use in Ann Arbor. A tower, a chapel wing, and an apse were added in the latter part of the nineteenth century. A parish hall, housing a chapel, class and meeting rooms, and offices, was added in the 1950s.
St. Andrew's serves the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan community from location close to the campus and the business district. The growth of the city, particularly after the second World War, led to the founding of two parochial missions which are now St. Aidan's and St. Clare's Churches.
The significant number of students and faculty of the University of Michigan in the congregation led to the founding in the 1880s of Harris Hall, an Episcopal center on the edge of the campus. The Episcopal Student Foundation, with its own board and funding, continues the Episcopal Church's campus ministry from Canterbury House.
St. Andrew's has a tradition of community involvement. The parish was a founder and a significant supporter of the Ann Arbor Interfaith Council of Congregations and is a continuing supporter of minority-initiated projects and such organizations as the Ann Arbor Interfaith Council for Peace. St. Andrew's was responsible for the beginning of the Shelter Association of Ann Arbor, which provides housing and other services for the homeless; and the parish hosts a daily breakfast in its parish hall.
